Retort and furnace.



G. SGHWAHN.

RETORT AND FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27,1914.

human srarnis Parana orrron.

GUSTAVE SCHWAHN, OF ST. LOUIS, MTSSOURI.

RETORT AND FURNACE.

Original application filed December 12,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAvn SGHWAHN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Retorts and Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to retorts and furnaces suitable'for the reduction of aluminum sulfate to aluminum oXid (alumina), suitable for electrolytic reduction to aluminum, according to the process set forth in my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 467,155, filed December 12, 1908, from which the subjectmatter of this application has been divided out.

The invention consists in a furnace and retort adapted for uniformly heating a mass of porous material of low heat conductivity.

The invention further consists in the furnace and retort shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever the symbols occur,

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the furnace, showing the hopper for the retort; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the furnace and retort 'on the line 22 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section onthe line 8-3 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by. the arrows; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 of a device for supplying gas or vapor to the retort, which forms part of the furnace, and for discharging the retort.

Referring to the drawings, the invention consists of a retort 11 arranged within a furnace 12. The retort 11 is constructed of fire brick or other material capable of resisting temperature up to 1200 degrees centigrade and is separate from the furnace. The inside of the retort measures not over eight inches in width, and preferably about eight feet or more in height. The furnace 12 shown in the drawings is intended to be heated with gas, which enters the furnace 12 by the pipes 13 which convey the gas to the upper portion of the combustion chamber 14. Air, which may be preheated, is also conveyed into the upper portion of combustion chamber 14 by pipes 15. The products of combustion leave the lower portion of Specification of Letters Patent.

1908, Seria1 No. 467,155. Divided and this application filed August 27, 1914. Serial No. 858,847.

the combustion chamber 14 through passages 16 connecting the combustion chamber 14 with a flue 17. Material may be fed into the upper part of the retort 11 from a hopper 18 by means of a feeding device 19, which is substantially gas tight. The hopper 18 and feeding device 19 may comprise connections for a pipe or pipes 20, whichconnect with the retort 11 below the feeding device 19. These pipes 20 convey the gaseous products away from the retort. The solid product of the retort may be discharged by means of a device 21, comprising a body portion 22, which is divided into two parts. The upper part 23 comprises a feeding device 24, which by revolving causes the contents of the retort to pass through perforations 25 connecting the upper part 23 of the discharging device 21 to the lower part 26. The lower part 26 of the discharging device 21, in connection with a screw 27, forms a screw conveyer, .by means of which the solid products of the retort may be conveyed away from the furnace. The upper portion 23 of the discharging device 21 contains a pipe or pipes 28 comprising perforations 29. These pipes 28 convey gases or vapors into the retort.

It is evident that modifications may be made'in the hopper and charging mechanism, and in the discharging device, without affecting the invention The invention is not restricted to the forms and shapes of the several parts of the device shown in the accompanying drawings, nor to the exact dimensions and proportions specified.

I claim the following as my invention:

1. The combination of a retort having two flat vertical side walls of large area with a narrow space between them, with a furnace inclosing said retort and having double sets of fines for the combustible gases, there being one set of fines on each side of said retort.

2. The combination of a vertical retort having two fiat vertical side walls of large area with a narrow space between them, with a downdraft furnace inclosing said retort and having double sets of flues for the combustible gases, there being one set of flues on each side of said retort.

3. The combination of a retort having two flat vertical side walls of large area with a narrow space between them, with a furnace inclosing said. retort and. having Hues fof Signed at St.Louis, M0,, this 22nd day 01" the combustible gases, said; fiues being August, 1914:.

spaced on opposite sides of said retort near GUSTAVE SCHVTAHNL the top or bottom extremity thereof, and Vfitnesses: 5 outlefn flues for the products of combustion A. M, HOLCQMBE,

near the opposite extremity of said retort-Q EDGAR Ti. FARMER 

